FMCW Radar Lab Model
Pratyush Kumar Arkaprava Paul
Department of Electronics & Electrical Engineering Department of Electronics & Electrical Engineering
IIT Guwahati IIT Guwahati
Assam, India Assam, India
[Link]@[Link] [Link]@[Link]
Ratnajit Bhattacharjee
Professor, Electronics & Electrical Engineering
IIT Guwahati
Assam, India
ratnajit@[Link]
Abstract—This study presents the design and implementation
of a simple Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW)
Radar laboratory model . The system is developed to evaluate
key performance parameters, including range measurement and
range resolution. Experimental analysis is conducted to deter-
mine the achievable resolution and maximum detectable range
under controlled laboratory conditions.
Index Terms—FMCW, Radar, Range, Resolution, Frequency
I. O BJECTIVE
To design and implement a simple Frequency Modulated
Continuous Wave (FMCW) Radar laboratory model operating
at 300 MHz, and to evaluate its range measurement capability
and range resolution.
II. A PPARATUS R EQUIRED Fig. 1. Flowchart of FMCW Lab Model
• Function generator (250 kHz – 2 GHz, 25 MHz)
• Oscilloscope (500 MHz) B. Power Splitter
• DC power supply Divides the generated signal into two paths:
• Dipole antennas (2) • One for transmission (TX path)
• Mixer (AD831AP) • One for reference (local oscillator input to the mixer)
• Low Noise Amplifier (LNA)
Ensures phase coherence between transmitted and reference
• Power splitter
signals.
• Coaxial wires
• Coaxial adapters C. Antenna
• Operational amplifier (TL072) They are used for transmission and receiving of signals.
• Aluminium Foil • Transmitting Antenns (Tx) : Radiates the FMCW chirp
signal toward the target (aluminum foil). Converts elec-
III. A RCHITECTURE trical signal into electromagnetic waves.
A. Function Generator • Receiving Antenna (Rx) : Captures the reflected signal
from the target and converts it back into an electrical
The function generator produces a linearly frequency- signal.
modulated (chirp) signal used for transmission, given by
At 300 MHz, the wavelength is given by
B c
f (t) = f0 + t (1) λ = = 1m (2)
T f
where f0 is the primary frequency, B is the bandwidth, and A half-wave dipole (∼ 50 cm) is used for efficient operation.
T is the sweep time. This chirp signal forms the basis for The TX and RX antennas are placed 0.5–1 m apart to reduce
distance measurement. leakage and ensure accurate measurements.
D. Target (Aluminum Foil) where f0 is the starting frequency (approximately 300 MHz),
Acts as a reflector, sending back the incident signal. The B is the sweep bandwidth, and T is the sweep time.
reflected signal contains a time delay proportional to distance.
B. Received Signal and Time Delay
E. Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) The signal reflected from a target at a distance R experi-
Amplifies the weak received signal while minimizing added ences a time delay τ given by:
noise, improving detection sensitivity.
2R
τ= (5)
c
where c is the speed of light.
C. Beat Frequency Generation
The transmitted and received signals are mixed using a
mixer. After low-pass filtering, the beat frequency fb is ob-
tained:
B
fb = ·τ (6)
T
Substituting τ :
B 2R
Fig. 2. Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) implementation using an operational fb = · (7)
T c
amplifier. The circuit provides gain while minimizing additional noise in the
received signal path. D. Range Equation
Rearranging the above equation, the target range is given
by:
cT
R= fb (8)
2B
E. Range Resolution
The range resolution of the FMCW radar depends only on
the bandwidth:
c
∆R = (9)
2B
F. Sweep Slope
Fig. 3. Output waveform of the Low Noise Amplifier (LNA), showing The frequency sweep slope is defined as:
amplified received signal characteristics prior to mixing.
B
S= (10)
T
F. RF Mixer
G. Numerical Example
G. Mixer (e.g., AD831)
For a bandwidth of B = 10 MHz:
The mixer combines the transmitted and received signals to
produce sum and difference frequency components. Following 3 × 108
∆R = = 15 m (11)
low-pass filtering, the beat frequency is obtained as 2 × 10 × 106
B 2R For sweep slope S = 2 × 1010 Hz/s and target distance
·
fb = (3)
T c R = 5 m:
2R
which is directly proportional to the target range. fb = S · ≈ 667 Hz (12)
c
H. Low Pass Filter (LPF) H. Maximum Range
Removes high-frequency components (sum term), allowing The maximum measurable range depends on the maximum
only the beat frequency to pass. beat frequency:
IV. C ALCULATIONS cT
Rmax = fb,max (13)
A. Transmitted Signal (Chirp Model) 2B
In an FMCW radar, the transmitted signal is a linearly I. Minimum Range
frequency-modulated (LFM) waveform given by: The minimum detectable range is limited by leakage and
B DC offset in the system. Practically, it is around 1–2 meters
f (t) = f0 + t (4) depending on the setup.
T
V. K EY O BSERVATIONS
In the FMCW radar setup, the output behavior depends on
the presence or absence of a target.
When no target is present, the transmitted signal directly
couples into the receiver due to leakage between the TX and
RX antennas. This causes self-mixing in the mixer, resulting
in a DC (constant) output after the low-pass filter.
When a target is present, the transmitted signal reflects
back with a certain time delay. This delayed signal mixes
with the original transmitted signal, producing a low-frequency
sinusoidal signal, known as the beat signal.
The beat frequency is directly proportional to the target
distance. As the distance increases, the time delay increases,
which results in a higher beat frequency. This relationship
forms the basis for range measurement in FMCW radar.
VI. S UMMARY
• FMCW radar measures distance using frequency differ-
ence instead of direct time measurement
• Range is obtained from the beat frequency of transmitted
and received signals
• Beat frequency is proportional to target distance
• Range resolution depends only on bandwidth
• Mixer converts time delay into frequency, enabling easy
measurement
VII. L IMITATIONS
• Strong TX–RX Coupling (Leakage): Even in the ab-
sence of a target, a DC output was observed due to direct
signal leakage between the antennas, thereby degrading
measurement accuracy.
• Limited Range Resolution: Closely spaced targets could
not be resolved, indicating poor resolution (approximately
7–15 m) due to limited bandwidth.
• Short Detection Range: The system was capable of
detecting targets only over a few meters, primarily due
to low transmit power and propagation losses.
• Multipath Interference: Reflections from nearby objects
resulted in distorted or multiple signal components, lead-
ing to inconsistencies in the beat signal.
• Antenna Alignment Sensitivity: Small variations in
antenna orientation caused significant changes in received
signal strength, affecting measurement reliability.